5 reasons Dwyane Wade is the greatest player in Miami Heat history
By Connor Learn
1. Dwyane Wade is the biggest Heat legend there is
LeBron James came to Miami and won two league and two Finals MVPs. He is the best forward ever and continues to ignite arguments about being the greatest player too. LeBron has had a better career than Dwayne Wade and is the best player to wear a Heat jersey. But that doesn’t necessarily make him the greatest player in the history of the Miami Heat. The overall impact Dwyane Wade has had on the franchise gives him the honors.
Miami became better immediately after Dwyane Wade joined them and was their best player for their first championship. He has consistently been a good teammate who rides the line between aggression and deferring to others well, which has helped bring the most success possible. He sacrificed individual success for team success, took multiple pay cuts, and didn’t complain. For 14 seasons, there was little else that Dwyane Wade could have possibly done to help them win more games. If they had chosen Chris Kaman sixth overall back in 2003 like many expected, there’s no telling how the Heat’s history would have went.
It remains unclear exactly why Dwyane Wade left the Miami Heat. Money, allure of Chicago, his relationship with Pat Riley, and Chris Bosh’s health all likely played a factor. He could have just left simply because the Heat wouldn’t be playing a high level of basketball and his days as a player are numbered. Dwyane Wade has insisted he is a Heat lifer, and he will be remembered as their best franchise player. Some fans are confused and upset over his departure, and that’s okay. But when the Bulls play in Miami and Wade is introduced as a visiting player for the first time, Heat fans should cheer for Dwyane Wade and cheer loudly. He definitely deserves it.